Apparatus for stripping ingots



June 29, 1937. G. A. DORNIN APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING INGOTS Filed March 2, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet l W 493% w em June 29, 1937.

G. A. DORNIN Filed March 2, 1954 e Sheets-Sheet 2 WATBKTM B sulzflrawwmg June 29, 1937. G. A. DORNIN 2,085,212

APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING INGOTS Filed March 2, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Tm 23 53 H INVENTOR v June 29, 1937. G. A. DORNIN 2,085,212

APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING INGOTS Filed March 2, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I INVENTOR i w (5M MXBMK June 29, 1937. G. A. DORNIN APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING INGOTS Filed March 2, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 w a 522:: :2: /V, my 2 INVENTOR ow ob w June 29, 1937. G. A. DORNIN APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING INGOTS Filed March 2, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented june 29, 1937 STA OFFICE- 1 Claim.

This invention relates to the stripping of ingots, more particularly big-end-up ingots. Those who have worked out practical procedures for stripping ingots have heretofore adhered rather 5 closely to certain well defined courses. Ingots cast with a sink-head or other projecting portion have presented a fairly simple problem, since mechanism can readily be devised for gripping the part of the ingot which projects above the top of the mold. It is obvious, however, that this procedure is inapplicable to the bulk of the tonnage of steel produced, as only a minor portion of this tonnage has a projecting part. Of the tonnage produced without sink-heads, nearly 5 all is poured in big-en-d-down molds. Of the tonnage poured in big-end-down molds, a large proportion would be poured in big-end-up ingots if a simple mechanism could be purchased for stripping big-end-up ingots. One reason for this is that important economies could be effee-ted with a big-end-up pouring procedure.

Considerable mechanism has been designed and a number of machines are in operation for stripping big-end-up ingots by holding the mold down and pushing the ingot up through the mold by a plunger which must be operated through the platform of the ingot-carrying car. It has been believed that the plunger must thus extend through the car platform if stripping is to be carried out with a minimum of cost for handling. While strippers have been built as independent units which require that the mold with its contained ingot be carried from the car and positioned on the stripping mechanism, this is a slow and costly procedure.

Correct principles for production of ingots on a large scale favor the retention of the ingot mold on a car until the ingot is ready to go to the soaking pit. In other words, economy in the production of ingots is largely a matter of minimum carrying or handling costs; as the heavy masses involved render this such an important item of expense.

Furthermore, an improved procedure has been developed for so treating ingots immediately following the pouring as to subject an incompletely solidified ingot to a soaking treatment within the ingot mold. Various proposals of this kind have been made looking to a more perfect grain structure or a modification of the formation within the ingot of the segregate. Preferably, the ingot is pushed up within the ingot mold to subject the upper portion of the ingot to a soaking treatment. The step of pushing the ingot up within the ingot mold while the upper portion of the ingot is only partially solidified cannot be efiected by mechanism which depends upon gripping a sink-head or other projecting part of the ingot. In accordance with my invention, I strip a partially solidified ingot 5 by lowering the mold while engaging the ingot by a pin or other abutment which telescopes with the hole in the bottom of the mold, stopping further downward movement of the ingot.

Stripping mechanism which involves thrusting 10 a plunger upwardly through the platform of the ingot carrying car renders the operation of the plant for producing ingots inflexible and expensive. In stripping big-end-up ingots it is not entirely satisfactory to lift the ingot relatively 5 to the mold sufficiently to loosen the same and then allow the ingot to drop back within the mold. Such a step of loosening the ingot within the mold is all that is accomplished by a striper having a plunger moving upwardly through the platform of the car and entering the bottom of the ingot mold. When the car carrying the molds reaches the soaking pit, the ingot must be again pushed up so that the top of the ingot may be grasped in removing the same from the mold 225 for lowering into the soaking pit. This means that the ingot is twice pushed up within the ingot mold. Other types of strippers comprise a pin for each mold, this pin being pushed upwardly by the stripper and locked in raised 30 position. Such stripping mechanism requires accurate registry of each pin with the plunger of the stripping mechanism, which is difficult to effect as a regular procedure.

Moreover, the pouring operation is most satisfactorily done with the train of cars carrying the ingot molds stationary; and this is the almost universal practice today. This means that an entire heat is poured and then transported to a difierent part of the plant where the strip- 40 ping operation is performed. No procedure has as yet been perfected to the point of being practical which properly synchronizes the pouring and stripping so that at the proper interval after each mold is poured, the ingot is stripped, and 45 at the same time the procedure is continuous so that an entire heat of ingots is produced in succession.

My invention provides such a simple procedure for stripping big-end-up ingots as to overcome 50 one of the principal objections to pouring steel in big-end-up molds. Furthermore, my invention does not require movement of the train of cars along a trackway to bring the molds successively into cooperative relation with the stripping 55 mechanism; since with the train of cars stationary, a crane may be moved longitudinally of the train to perform the stripping operation on each of the molds successively. My invention contemplates stripping big-end-up ingots which have only partially solidified, and avoids the hazard of a caved-in top by engaging the bottom of the ingot in stripping.

Proposals have heretofore been made for stripping a big-end-up ingot by lowering the'mold so as to force a stripper plug up through the bottom of the mold into engagement with the ingot. The operation of such a stripping mechanism. was never to my knowledge satisfactory since the molds would topple, and it was the common thing for the mold to tilt over on the pin; and at times the mold would become completely disengaged from the crane so as to fall on its side. Obvious-- 1y, such stripping mechanism would be extremely dangerous if used to strip any ingot and impossible for use in, stripping partially solidified ingots. i

I have .found that the reason-for the unsatisfactory results obtained with this procedure was thatan essential step was omitted. The stripping of .the big-end-up ingots, including such as have only partially solidified, by lowering the mold while guiding the same in a predetermined path and meeting the contained ingot with an obstruction to, stop further downward movement of the ingot while continuing the lowering and guiding of the mold is such a satisfactory procedure, and at the same time so simply performed in connection with the customary procedure for pouring ingots that it opens the way for important economies in the pouring of a very large tonnage of steel in big-end-up ingots that is now poured in big-end-down ingots.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention,

Fig. l is. a View in end elevation of an ingot mold contained within a guideway structure, the ingot having been poured while the ingot mold is supported in raised position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the lower portion of the ingot mold and structure shown in Fig. 1, this view showing a preparatory stage in the process of stripping with the ingot mold lifted above the stripping pin;

Fig. 3 is a view principally in central vertical section showing the ingot after it has been stripped;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a guideway structure for cooperating with the molds during stripping, one of the molds being shown in section;

' Fig.5 is a detail plan view illustrating one manner of guiding the stripping pin;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the slide carrying the stripping pin as embodied in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a modified form of guideway structure;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a detailed View principally in side elevation of the lower portion of the stripping pin shown in Figs. 7 and 8;

Fig. 10 is a view principally in side elevation of mold manipulating mechainsm cooperating with a guideway structure such as shown in Figs. '7 and 8, this mechanism being adapted to engage both the mold and the guideway structure simultaneously to effect relative movement therebetween;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view on the line XI-.XI of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the engaging arm of the mold manipulating mechanism;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the cross-head vertically movable within the arm andhaving portions engageable with the mold;

Fig. 14 is a plan view, and

Fig. 15 is a View in side elevation of a slide carrying a stripper pin;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a block carried by the slide shown in Figs. 14 and 15; and

Fig. 17 is a detail plan view showing the slide of Figs. 14 and 15 as related to positioning stops.

Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive illustrate simple apparatus for carrying out my invention with the use of a crane such as is usually available in a steel plant; while Figs. 10 to 1'7 inclusive illustrate more completely organized apparatus for performing the stripping of big-end-up ingots in accordance with my invention.

The essential feature of my improved practice is the guiding of the big-end-up ingot mold as it is moved downwardly'in stripping the'ingot. The guideway structures provided for this purpose which I have shown in the drawings are merely illustrative, as a designer can readily follow the principles of my invention and provide a suitable structure without adhering to the details disclosed herein. One embodiment is shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and includes a base plate or stool 20 carrying one or more abutments, which herein take the form of pins 2 l. A simple manner of guiding the molds, and the one which I prefer, is to provide guiding means such as the projections or lugs 23 shown on the mold 24. With these lugs 23 cooperate vertical guideways for maintaining the mold 24 in proper alignment with the stripping pin 21 during lowering of the mold to strip the ingot. A suitable guideway is provided by parallel'vertical elements suitably connected and braced by other portions of the guideway structure. In theembodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive these vertical elements are the parallel flanges 26 and 21 and the web 28 (see Fig. 4) of a vertical H-beam 36. The lateral faces of the lugs 23 cooperate with the flanges 26 and 21, and the exterior faces of the lugs 23 cooperate with the webs 28, thus confining the mold during the stripping operation to vertical movement only. In the embodiment shown in Figs. '7 and 8, the

base plate or stool Zea carries guide posts 32 and 33 whose opposed faces engage the lateral faces of the lugs 23a. and 23b, while the inturned faces of the guide posts 32 and 33 engage the guide surfaces M and 35 on the mold itself. In order to provide a strong and rigid structur longitudinal braces 3? are secured to the H-beams 36, as by welding, and cross-braces 38 connect the longitudinal braces. In the embodiment shown in Figs. '7 and 8, a somewhat heavier longitudinal brace 40 connects the series of guide posts 32 and 33, and transverse'braces 380. connect the longitudinal braces 40. Corner plates ll may be welded in place, as illustrated in Fig. 7, to strengthen the longitudinal and transverse braces.

The guideway structure, as shown, may be adapted to the particular plant where it is to be installed. It may be necessary with certain installations to strip the ingots in a stationary guideway structure, the same structure being in use continuously to perform thestripping operation. Accordingly, as broadly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, no provision is made for transporting the base plate or stool 20. Generally, however, the guideway structure should be wheel-mounted so that when the ingots have been pushed up in the ingot molds, the same may be transported in the guideway structure to some other part of the plant, such as the soaking pit. Accordingly, there are illustrated in Fig. 8 the side rails 43 of a car upon which stool 20a is mounted. It is obvious that if desired the guideway structure may be formed as an integral part of the car structure.

The abutment takes the form in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of a stripping pin 2! which is fixed permanently in the stool 26. A shiftable pin is provided in the embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive and in Figs. 10 to 16 inclusive, while in Figs. '7, 8 and 9 a removable pin is illustrated. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a slide 45 carries adjacent one end a block 46 and adjacent the other end a stripper pin 4?. The slide 45 is guided by lugs 48 on the base plate 29. Stops 49 limit the travel of the slide in either direction.

As illustrated in Figs. 10 segment Ed is pivoted to the to 16 inclusive, a stool 29a by a pin 52. The segment 9! carries a block 53 and a stripper pin 54. Stops 55 (see Fig. 10) limit the swinging movement of the segment 5i. apparent, therefore, that with the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 or with the construction shown in Figs. 10 to 17 inclusive, the pin is guided to operative ,and to inoperative position.

In its broadest aspect my invention is not concerned with the pouring of the ingots, as a guideway structure with cooperating abutment or abutments may be used in cooperative relation with a crane to perform the necessary stripping operation on big-end-up ingots which have been poured according to the customary practice. It may, however, be of advantage to strip the ingots without the necessity for transporting the molds to the guideway structure and inserting them therein. To pour the ingots with the bigend-up molds already positioned in the guideway structure, both the expedient illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and the one illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 or Figs. 10 to 16 inclusive are suitable. For example, a block 58 may be interposed between the pin 25 and the bottom of the mold 224 as illustrated in Fig. 1, so as to support the mold in elevated position. The usual refractory plug 5% being positioned in the customary opening 6! in the bottom of the mold, the ingot is poured and allowed to cool sufficiently to give the ingot the necessary skin strength for stripping. A crane whose arms are shown at 63 is then engaged with the mold lugs to raise the mold slightly as illustrated in Fig. 2. The block 58 being withdrawn, the mold 24 is then lowered to cause the pin 2i to enter the opening 6|, bringing about the stripping of the ingot without the requirement for the application of any additional weight beyond the mass of the mold 24 itself in the great majority of cases. Should, as may happen in a few instances, the ingot stick in the mold, the arm 63 may be pressed downwardly on the top of the mold 24 to force the mold downwardly and complete the stripping of the ingot 64.

An analogous procedure is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6; but with this embodiment, the ingot molds 24 are in lowered position resting on the blocks 46 when the ingots are poured. A slide 45 is shown in Fig. 5 with the block 46 on the center line of the stool 20' in position for supporting a mold 24. When the stripping operation is to be performed, the mold 24 is lifted, as

It is by a crane or other suitable mold manipulating mechanism, and the slide pushed to, the. other end of its travel. With the pin 47 on the center line of the stool 2B, the mold may be lowered to strip the ingot just as described in connection with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The abutment illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 can be used either for the pouring procedure illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or may be used simply for stripping ingots which have been poured elsewhere in the plant. This abutment takes the form of a pin 65 having a base flange 66 for resting on the stool 20a. A head 68 extends downwardly into a socket 99 provided in the stool 29a, and a projecting lug T9 cooperates with vertical and horizontal grooves H and 12 respectively to constitute a bayonet look. This provides a simple manner of removably securing an abutment in the stool 20a of the guideway structure.

In Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive is illustrated mechanism which can be employed for manipulating the molds in cooperation with the guideways structure. The embodiment of guideway structure illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 is substantially the same as the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 and is likewise wheel-mounted. The mechanism cooperating therewith for manipulating the molds includes a top beam 15 acting as a cross-head slide for the stripper arms 77. The top beam 15 can be made from simple rolled shapes and plates, or may be made as one integral casting. Its elements, as shown in Fig. 10, include top and side plates 78 and 19, the side plates terminating in inturned flanges 89 so as to complete the slides for the supporting heads 82 of the stripper arms 11. A transverse web 84 reinforces the top beam at its central portions. Trunnions 85 extend laterally from the beam so as to be readily engaged by the hooks of a crane. If desired, there may be provided in addition a lifting eye 85 on top of the beam, as shown in Fig. 11.

The arms T! are constructed with two vertical beams 68, connected at the top by a transverse web 67 and connected at the bottom by a transverse engaging member 89 for hooking under the longitudinal brace 40. The beams 88 are cut out above the engaging member 89 to provide recesses Fit for receiving the longitudinal brace 49. Thus there is a heel portion 9! on each beam 88 which may rest on top of the longitudinal brace 40.

The arms are constructed to provide a crosshead guide in the form of inwardly projecting guides 93 on the arms 88. The cross-head 94 slides vertically on the guides 93, being raised and lowered by a screw 95 threaded through a nut 96. The periphery of the nut is formed as a worm gear meshing with the threads of a. worm 91. The nut 96 is-rotatably mounted between antifriction bearings 91a carried by upper and lower housings 98 and 99. These housings are secured to a base plate I09 slidable on rails NH and H12, as shown in Fig. 10. The flanges of the bed plate I are inturned, as indicated at I 04, to prevent lifting of the base plate when the nut 96 is rotated to force the screw and cross-head 94 downwardly. The stripper arm, cross-head, screw and nut, and the mechanism for rotating the nut will be duplicated on the other side of the cross-beam; and the two worms 91 may be driven individually, each by its own motor I06; or a single motor may be connected by a beam l5.

cross-shaft slidably connected as by a spline to the driving'gearing ID! for rotating the worm 91.

The cross-heads 94 are raised and lowered to manipulate'the mold in the guideway structure; and for this purpose I provide a heel I09 and a toe Hi3 for engaging above and below a flange [H on each side of the mold.

The arms Tl being hung from the supporting heads 82 are slidable toward and from each other in the guideways provided in the cross- To effect such separation or inward movement of the arms, I rotatably mount a cross-shaft H3 in a bearing provided by a bracket H4. Collars H6, one to either side of the bracket H i, prevent transverse movement of the screw H3. Nuts H1 carried by the arms i1 cooperate with the screw H3 so that when the latter is rotated, the arms H are simultaneously moved inwardly or outwardly in accordance with the direction of rotation of the shaft H3, one nut being a right-hand nut and the other nut being a left-hand nut. A motor H9 mounted on the side of the beam 15 is connected by suitable gearing as a worm gear fixed to the screw M3 to rotate the same in either of opposite directions.

A number of advantages flow from the con struction illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. The heel I89 extends inwardly far enough so that the manipulating mechanism may be lowered over a guideway structure until the heels I09 engage the top of the flanges l l I of the mold. After the operator has become skilled in the operation of the mechanism, he can preliminarily move the screw 95 to proper position to cause the recess 99 to register with the brace iii. The screw H3 may then be rotated to bring the arms inwardly and engage the recesses 9t with the braces 40. At the same time, the toes H0 engage under the flanges ill of the mold. The mechanism is thus connected both to the mold and to the guideway structure, and the mold may be positively moved vertically either upwardly or down-,

wardly.

A further important advantage of the construction shown is that having once engaged the braces it in the recesses 96, the mold manipulating mechanism may be moved along the guideway structure to engage a series of molds successive ly and strip an entire car in a short space of time. Since the operator is called upon to position the manipulating mechanism with respect to the longitudinal brace 40 and the flanges of the molds but once for each car, it is obvious that the operation of stripping is considerably simplified.

The construction shown is considerably lighter than would be possible with ordinary types of stripping cranes, and is considerablyless costly;

because during stripping'the weight of the mold manipulating mechanism and of the mold itself, including the ingot, are borne by the longitudinal braces 40 through contact of the heel portion 9| with the top of the brace. If'the mold sticks, the screw 95 comes into play to positively force the mold downwardly; and if necessary the transverse engaging member 89 can be drawn up against the bottom of the brace 40.

From the foregoing it can be readily seen that I have invented an extremely flexible method of stripping big-end-up ingots; and one that fits itself into present day steel plant equipment with a minimum of change. It can further be seen that the stripping operation can be performed at the pouring platform and when the ingot has only partially solidified, all that is necessary being a crane to lift and lower'the mold within the guideway structure. It can be seen that if I so desire I can keep a guideway structure at the soaking pits on the ground, or conveniently placed; and by pouring the molds on the regular ingot cars, can perform the stripping operation at the pits with the regular pit cranes. This procedure involves merely taking the mold off the ingot car, lowering it into the guideway structure, charging the ingot, and returning the now empty molds to the ingot car. All of these operations can be performed by the regular charging cranes where time permits. The stripping operation can also be performed at any point between the pouring platform and the pits, all that is necessary being a crane to move the molds and contained ingots up and down within the guideway structure; and this can be performed by a locomotive crane on an adjoining track if desired.

While I have illustrated and described certain embodiments which my invention may assume, it will be understood that my invention is not restricted to the particular constructions and arrangements shown, but may be variously modified within the contemplation of the invention and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

Apparatus for stripping ingots comprising a wheel mounted support, a structure on said sup- 7 port providing vertical guideways for guiding a mold in raising and lowering movements relative to said support and restraining lateral movement of the upper portion of the mold, a projection for entering an opening in the bottom of the mold when the mold is in lowered position relative to said structure, and means cooperating with said projection for supporting said mold in sufiiciently elevated position to maintain the mold cavity freed from said projection.

GEORGE A. DORNIN. V 

